'Red flags' raised during review of children's mental health care in north Kerry
A review of children's mental health care in north Kerry that started in 2023 is still not finished, but so many 'red flags' were already raised that some children needed open disclosure meetings, the Oireachtas Health Committee heard on Wednesday.
The review was announced following shocking findings in the Maskey review around mis-prescribing and harm to children in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) in South Kerry.
Minister of state for mental health Mary Butler was among the health ministers speaking to the committee on a range of financial and policy issues. In response to TD Michael Cahill, she said a senior clinician was appointed to run a review in North Kerry.
'It was hoped the review would be completed in a short period with Dr Colette Halpin, but unfortunately they realised it would take longer,' she said.
'Red flags were raised immediately and they had to undertake a robust review of all cases. The HSE's priority was that every file of every young person would get a thorough and robust review.'
She added: 'During the review any young person whose file showed deficits in the care provided to them, they were called for an individual open disclosure meeting, so that's happening the whole way through.'
A final report is being drafted, she explained, saying once the HSE receive that draft, additional work will be needed before it is published.
Ms Butler also said that out of the 240 children affected by findings in the Maskey report, 228 applications were made to an non-adversarial compensation scheme by May. Some 222 payments have been made, and she welcomed that 'you're not dragging people through the courts' with this approach.
University Hospital Kerry overcrowding
Mr Cahill also asked about funding plans for University Hospital Kerry in light of ongoing overcrowding.
He described cases of 'elderly patients falling off chairs' in the waiting room, and said at least one patient spent days on a trolley in the emergency department.
Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said while there are bed shortages, this is not the main problem, unlike in University Hospital Limerick. She called for tighter management of beds.
'There is in Kerry a new ward block which is at design feasibility stage in accordance with the acute inpatient capacity expansion plan,' she said.
Some 160 new beds are planned nationally this year, and she said Caherciveen Community Hospital is in the mix for this.
Health sector finances
On the broader financial crisis in health, the committee heard HSE spending on agency staff rose every year for the last three years, reaching at least €734m last year.
The spend last year was 7.6% higher than in 2023 just for agency staff funded through Department of Health funding streams. It was also 9% higher than 2022.
Plans to hire agency workers and convert them into full-time or part-time staff, which would reduce costs, have also not progressed as quickly as first hoped. Ms Carroll MacNeill said there was a budget of €80m for conversion.
'That's partly offset by a €60m increase in pay where there's conversion, the conversion process really began in July 2024,' she said.
Ms Carroll MacNeill told Labour TD Marie Sherlock that 512 agency staff have been hired by the HSE, the latest data she had showed. However, she added that this 'is 53% of the target'.
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Cork and Kerry mental health services have fewer staff now than during staffing crisis two years ago
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